The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Implement free power in toto: BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Implement free power in toto: BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 30. The BJP president, N Indrasena Reddy, on Thursday asked the State Government to implement in toto its election promise of providing free power to the agriculture sector and asked the farmers to revolt if it went back on its assurance.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Reddy maintained that he was only asking the farmers to implement the call given by the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, when he was Leader of the Opposition during the TDP regime when he asked them to revolt against Transco authorities. He said it was clear that the Government was trying to do away with the scheme on some pretext or the other and warned that its action would badly hit farmers.

Rationale questioned

Questioning the rationale behind the move not to provide free power to ayacutdars and to categorise farmers, he said it was nothing short of deceiving them. The Congress leaders had repeatedly said that the scheme would be implemented irrespective of the cost. They had also claimed that it would cost Rs 250 crores, which was less than the amount spent on publicity of the then TDP government.

He said during run-up to the elections the Congress had said that it would not go back on the free power promise like in the Punjab as there was scope for giving it here. They said the PPAs with private power developers would be reviewed and the money saved would be used for providing free power.

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